1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gripping device, and more particularly to a gripping device having an adjustable configuration for adjusting to different lengths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical gripping devices comprise a pair of longitudinal or straight gripping fingers rotatably secured to a base, and a pair of handles also rotatably secured to the base and coupled to the gripping fingers for rotating or moving or actuating the gripping fingers to grasp or hold the objects.
Several of the typical gripping devices have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 182,367 to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 465,222 to Ulbricht, U.S. Pat. No. 919,731 to La May, U.S. Pat. No. 923,376 to Savage, U.S. Pat. No. 1,024,991 to Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 1,051,374 to Agin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,562 to Schoolman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,957 to Traber.
A relative harder and unextendible rod or lever is required to be disposed in a longitudinal tube, and coupled to the griping fingers. The lever is required to be slidably received in the longitudinal tube and may not be adjusted to different lengths, such that the longitudinal tube also may not be adjusted to different lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,997 to Hedstrom et al. discloses another typical gripping device including an inner tube slidably received in an outer tube and movably and adjustably secured to the outer tube, and a bar and one or more wire loops are required to be received in the tubes for actuating tool members. However, the bar and the wire loops may not be solidly secured or coupled together when the bar is moved or adjusted relative to the wire loops.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional gripping devices.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a gripping device including an adjustable configuration for adjusting to different lengths and for gripping or grasping the objects in deep holes.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a gripping device including an adjustable configuration for easily and quickly and adjustably coupling the handles to the tool members for operating the tool members.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a gripping device comprising a handle body, a hand grip rotatably secured to the handle body with a shaft, and rotatable toward and away from the handle body about the shaft, a tube secured to the handle body, a pipe, a tool member coupled to the pipe, a beam slidably received in the pipe, and coupled to the tool member, a cable secured to the hand grip, a bar coupled to the cable, means for adjustably securing the tube to the pipe, and means for detachably securing the bar and the cable to the beam and the tool member.
The beam includes at least one tooth provided thereon, the bar includes at least one tooth provided thereon for selectively engaging with the tooth of the beam and for detachably securing the bar to the beam.
The tool member includes a base secured to the pipe, a pair of gripping fingers pivotally secured to the base and rotatable toward and away from each other, and means for coupling the gripping fingers to the beam.
The coupling means includes a follower slidably received in the base and secured to the beam, and a pair of links pivotally coupling the follower to the gripping fingers respectively.
A device may further be provided for locking the hand grip to the handle body to prevent the hand grip from rotating away from the handle body when the gripping fingers grasp the object.
The tube includes a first end, the pipe includes a first end to be detachably secured to the first end of the tube, the adjustably securing means includes a barrel secured to the first end of the tube, and means for catching the barrel to the pipe.
The catching means includes a lever pivotally secured to the barrel, and including a catch extended therefrom for selectively engaging through the barrel and the pipe. The catch is engageable through the cavity of the pipe, and engageable with the bar, for selectively forcing the bar toward and to engage with the beam.
The pipe includes a plurality of cavities formed therein, the barrel includes an orifice formed therein, the catch of the lever is engaged through the orifice of the barrel, and selectively engaging into either of the cavities of the pipe.
A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the catch to engage into the pipe and to engage with the bar.
The lever includes at least one projection provided thereon and engageable with the pipe, for positioning the lever to the pipe.
A device may further be provided for guiding the bar to move toward and away from the beam and includes at least one stop received in the pipe and having at least one jut extended therefrom, at least one board secured to the bar and having at least one track provided therein for slidably receiving the jut, and for slidably guiding the board and the bar to move relative to the pipe and the beam.
A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the bar away from the beam.
The pipe includes at least one swelling provided thereon, and a cap attached to the pipe and having at least one recess formed therein for receiving the swelling and for preventing the cap from rotating relative to the pipe.
The cap includes a channel formed therein for slidably receiving the beam and for guiding the beam to move relative to the pipe and for preventing the beam from rotating relative to the pipe.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.